Griffon Knight

Though many warriors are trained in mounted combat, either as part of cavalry or as a lone knight, rare is it to see a warrior mounted upon the back of a noble griffon; ferocious avian creatures with the bodies of a lion and the heads, forelegs, and wings of a mighty eagle. Such warriors are known as Griffon Knights and learn to combine their own martial prowess with that of their loyal avian steeds.

Feathered Knight

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you’ve gained certain skills and important abilities required by a griffon knight. You gain proficiency in the Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill. In addition, you can cast the Feather Fall spell once per long rest, without requiring spell components.

Majestic Griffon

Also at 3rd level, you’ve formed a special bond with a griffon through rigorous training and true kinship. Your griffon is friendly to you and your companions, and serves you as a mount both in and out of combat. During combat your griffon has its own turns, which it takes immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its statblock or some other action. Alternatively, when you take the Attack action, you can replace one of the attacks you make with an attack from your griffon. If you are incapacitated, your griffon can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge. 

 

If your griffon is reduced to 0 hit points, it makes death saving throws like a player character would. When it finishes a short or long rest with you, it regains all of its hit points. If your griffon dies, you can obtain a new one by spending 8 hours bonding with a similar creature that isn't hostile to you. You can't have more than one griffon at a time.

At 6th level, your griffon’s melee attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunities to non-magical damage.

Aerial Maneuvers

At 7th level, you and your griffon have learnt a number of special aerial maneuvers to use in combat. You can use one of these maneuvers only once per turn and only while mounted on your griffon. Your maneuvers are fueled by special dice known as Maneuver Dice, which are represented by d8s. You have a number of these dice equal to 1 + your proficiency bonus, and regain any expended Maneuver Dice when you finish a short- or long rest. You know the following maneuvers:

Swift Retaliation. When a creature hits either you or your griffon with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one of your Maneuver Dice to make a single melee weapon attack against the creature. On a successful hit, you can roll your Maneuver Die and add the result to the attack’s damage.

Daring Flyby. After you or your griffon hits a creature with a melee attack, you can expend one of your Maneuver Dice, roll it, and add the result to the attack’s damage. After doing so, neither you nor your griffon provoke attacks of opportunity from that creature until the beginning of your next turn.

Valiant Charge. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack after moving at least 15 feet in a straight line towards it, you can expend one of your Maneuver Dice, roll it, and add the result to the attack’s damage. If the target is of Large or smaller size, it must make a successful Strength saving throw against a DC of 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier or be knocked prone. A mounted opponent that’s knocked prone is also knocked off its mount.

Improved Aerial Maneuvers

At 10th level, the size of your Maneuver Dice increases to d10s.

Avian Grace

At 15th level, you and your griffon have become skilled and graceful fliers. When you or your griffon are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage while mounted on your griffon, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

In addition, while mounted on your griffon you have advantage on initiative rolls.

Aerial Combat Master

At 18th level, you and your griffon have mastered the art of aerial combat. The size of your Maneuver Dice increases to d12s. In addition, when you roll for initiative with 0 Maneuver Dice remaining, you regain 2 Maneuver Dice.